Thursday, December 29, 2011

2011 Newsmakers

The economy did not rebound as quickly as many would have liked in 2011—but it did rebound. The news of the year included clear signs of economic recovery, including the sale of Volcom for more than $700 million to luxury firm PPR. Forever 21 continued its international expansion, setting its sights on China and Europe. Lawmakers finally passed a series of free-trade agreements—most significantly, the agreement with South Korea, which stands to open new opportunities for apparel businesses. Retailers and manufacturers found new business opportunities in social networking, and consumers embraced shopping from the palm of their hands.

It was all part of the news of 2011.

Agenda

Once a smaller satellite show to the longstanding Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo, Agenda has grown beyond its focus on emerging streetwear brands to showcase a mix of contemporary, street, skate and surf brands at trade events in Southern California, New York and Tokyo.

Founded in 2002, Agenda has carefully cultivated a balance between championing independent labels with expanding and providing a space to do serious business for high-profile brands such as Vans and Volcom, both of which are owned by public companies.

Agenda also is reaping the benefits of being the last show standing in its market. In 2010, Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo closed after 29 years as the dominant surf and action-sports trade show on the West Coast. The Class@ASR mini trade show folded that year, and in 2011 its parent show, Class, went on hiatus. In ASR’s wake, the biannual Agenda has been the go-to place for surf and skate fashion, said Bod Boyle, president of Dwindle Distribution.

“Last year, there were options,” Boyle told California Apparel News in August. “[Now,] if you want to meet people from a company, you have to come to Agenda.”

Agenda thrived because it has expanded in a sensible way, said Cody De Backer, brand manager at the 722 Figueroa showroom in Los Angeles, who has been representing brands at Agenda since 2004. “It has always grown within its means,” De Backer said of Agenda, which is owned by Aaron Levant. “It still feels like a community and a family when you walk in the doors.”

Come January, Agenda will have the opportunity to expand that community feeling to its largest venue yet. The Jan. 5–6 run of Agenda will be held within 235,000 square feet of space at Southern California’s Long Beach Convention Center.—Andrew Asch